About the Farm

French Farms is a small farm located in the Redland, South Floridas historic agricultural neighborhood. In partnership with agricultural nonprofit AgriTrace Institute French Farms is revitalizing & developing the sustainable farming future of The PLK Estate, a historic estate well known for its rich history of avocado production in the center of the Castellow Hammock preserve. Through this partnership French Farms & AgriTrace Institute are working together to create an inspiring example of regenerative agriculture in our unique climate. 

French Farms has used regenerative agricultural principles to grow veggies on a small scale for the South Florida marketplace for 5 years. Over the years this small scale farming project has moved to and from a few different fields and has scaled up to 2 acres and back down to 1/2 an acre for the upcoming winter veggie growing season. In past years you could find French Farms' produce at your favorite restaurants like Mandolin Aegean Bistro, 27 restaurant, Pinch, Zak the Baker, Itamae, Alter & Fooqs, or you may have bought his produce at the Little River Cooperative market booth at the Legion Park Farmers Market in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Miami. 

French Farms is more of a soil farm than a vegetable farm if you ask farmer Chris French. He and his team focus on regenerative farming practices and focus on the health of soil life, soil biodiversity, and soil building techniques like cover cropping, crop rotation & on site composting to grow nutrient dense vegetables for his community. While French Farms is not certified organic it uses all OMRI listed and certified inputs, like germination mix, fertilizer & pesticides. 

Traditional western European veggie crops like carrots, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes & peas are grown from fall through winter into spring here in South Florida. Thats completely reversed from the rest of the country! Growing with the seasons instead of against them is key to growing flavorful vegetables in hot climates so that the vegetables who are supposed to store sugars when its chilly get to do that (carrots) and the vegetables who get stressed and mature early when its too hot out don't become bitter (lettuce). 

This season French Farms is hosting their very first CSA style produce subscription service focused on salad ingredients: "The Salad Share"! The salad share grew out of the closures of the farmers market this past spring due to Covid 19, and it allowed the farm to sell its produce in a way that was convenient & safe for his customers despite the changes in the city. Since Thanksgiving 2020 we have been participating in the Legion Park Farmers Market every Saturday from 9am - 2pm. Its located at 6601 Biscayne Boulevard in the Upper East Side neighborhood of North Miami. We share our booth with Little River Coop who brings a selection of their plants seeds & gardening supplies to the booth. 

2020-2021 crop list:

Greens:

gem romaine lettuces
salanova butter & oakleaf lettuce
muir salad bowl lettuce
cherokee red salad bowl lettuce
red butter lettuce heads
baby arugula
baby mustard salad mix
escarole endive
frisee endive
raddichio
purslane
lacinato kale
spigariello
baby boi choi
minutina plantain greens
watercress

Veggies:

slicing cucumbers
sungold cherry tomatoes
multicolored carrots
fennel bulb
kohlrabi
fioretto sprouting cauliflower

Garnish & microgreens:

pea shoots
fava bean shoots
sunflower sprouts
nasturtium flowers & greens
rainbow chard micro greens
red veined sorrel
chrysanthemum greens
marigold confetti

Salad herbs:

dill
cilantro
bronze fennel
parsley
assorted basils
tarragon
chives
mint
stinging nettles
lambs quarters